Utensil handle



May 23, 1939. A P TT 2,159,728"

UTENS IL HANDLE Filed June 8, 193a INVENTOR STEPHEN r7. Pmrr ATTORNEYS 1 UNITED STATES UTENSIZL HANDLE Stephen A. Platt, Decatur, Ill-., assignor to U. S. Manufacturing Corporation, Decatur, IlL, acor- Patented May 23, 1939 poration of Illinois Application June 8, 1938,

1 Claim.

,This invention relates tohandle constructions and method of making the same. These handle constructions are particularly adapted for uses ,7 in connection with implements and utensils which require a substantial handle length. Such handles are also strong in construction and will have a. long life and also lend themselves readily tothe use of the proper material where resiliency is a desirable factor or feature of the handles lo to be used. i

The principal object of this invention is the provision of handles constructed of wire or rod or other suitable material in which the feel of i a round wood handle or grip is imparted to the 1 5 user thereof when gripped.

Another object of this invention is the pro- 1 vision, of such handles which are simpleand strong in construction, attractive in appearance, and which may be manufactured cheaply in K quantity production.

Tothe accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, this invention consists in the method of and means of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and then sought to be defined in the appendedclaim, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof and which shows, merely for the purpose of illustrative disclosure, a preferred 1 3o embodiment of my invention, it being expressly understood, however, that various changes may be made in practice within the scope of the claim without digressing from my inventive idea. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a fly swatter showing one form of handle constructed to iembody my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the grip end of the handle in'the process of construction.

, 10 3 is a perspective view of the completed grip. end of the handle of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a rear end view of the grip end of the handle of the preceding figures, and

I Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a somewhat modi- 4 5 fied form of construction of the grip end of the handle. Referring first to the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the numeral l designates thelbody or flap of a standard fly swatter. This b0dy or flap l is substantially rectangular in hape with its lower corner portions 2 folded along lines 3 which'converge to a point at the center or middle of the lower edge of the rectangular body. The foldingof these parts forms a triangular pocket which is adapted to receive a PATENT OFFICE Serial N... 212,421

similarly-shaped element or member which is formed on the end of the handle element.

This handle element is designated generally by the reference character 4 and is composed of suitable wire or rod or other material which has sufficient strength to provide as long a handle element as may be desired. This handle element is formed by taking a single length of wire or rod and first bending it at substantially the middle of its length to form the elongated open gripping loop 5 constituting a part of the handle grip. This loop, as illustrated, has the rounded rear end 6, and two suitably spaced parallelly extending legs I and the converging portions 8, which latter are twisted together at their junction 9 to complete the loop 5. The wire or rod extends from the twisted portion 9 as a pair of closely spaced parallel members In for a suitable distance forming the handle portion II. The members are twisted together again at the upper end M of the handle portion and then bend outwardly away from each other to form the legs 13 and M of a triangle, the said legs having substantially the same angular direction as the lines of bend 3 of the flap l. Thereafter the free ends of the legs I3 and M are bent in opposite directions and toward each other to form the base members l5 and [6 of a triangular loop with the said legs l3 and I4. As illustrated, the length of base members l5 and I6 is short of the full length of the base of the said loop but may, if desired, be so admeasured as to abut each other, end to end, to form a complete triangular loop.

As previously stated, in either case, the partial or complete triangular loop forms a fly swatter or utensil mounting means. It is of substantially the same dimensions as the triangular pocket formed in the lower part of the fly swatter body l, and the diverging legs l3 and M of the loop extend parallel to the lines 3 on which the lower corner portions of the fly swatter body are folded soas to afford a good fit and secure anchorage when the customary securing means in the form of staples, stitching and the like is used. A handle thus far completed may be designated as a flat handle.

It is desirable to give the feel of a substantially round wood handle or grip to the user of a device of this character. To this end, I provide an auxiliary gripping loop llshaped similarly as the loop 5 and arranged in a plane at with theplane of the loop 5. This auxiliary loop I! has the rounded rear end l8, the spaced parallel legsl9 and the converging portions 20 whose free ends are suitably attached to the handle element adjacent the twisted portion 9 of the handle element as by welding or soldering at 2] or in any other suitable manner. The four wire grip thus formed has legs 1 and I9 spaced ninety degrees apart and when gripped by the user imparts substantially the feel of a round wooden or other solid handle. Additional auxiliary loops may be used if desired.

The manner of forming and applying the auxiliary loop I! to the handle may be as follows:

The flat loop 5 is suitably supported in a horizontal plane adjacent a vertically held predetermined length of wire or rod H at the mid-point of the latter. Horizontally exerted pressure is then applied to wire or rod I1 forcing it against the curved rear end 6 of the said loop 5. This pressure bends the said curved rear end in slightly as at 6 and crimps the wire H at I8 around the wire or rod of the loop 5 at the said inward bend 6 Thereafter, the oppositely-extending portions of the wire I I about the crimped portion I8 are whipped or bent to the shape of the completed loop l1, and their free ends welded or soldered or otherwise fixed to the handle at the twisted portion 9 or at any other suitable location. The bend 6 and crimping I8 eliminate the necessity of welding or soldering the rounded portions 6 and I8 of the loops 5 and H to each other because the dimensions of loop I! is such that when its free ends are attached to the twisted portion 9, as described, the said crimping I 8 and the bend 6 prevent movement of the curved ends 6 and I8 relative to each other.

In the modification of Fig. 5 crimping and bending have been eliminated and the auxiliary loop 22, otherwise identical with auxiliary loop ll, attached to the loop 5 by welding or soldering the cross junction 23 of the two loops to each other and then bending the wire of the loop 22 into shape and welding, soldering or otherwise attaching its free ends 22 to the twisted portion 9 of the handle element.

It is seen that in both forms the handle is composed of but two pieces of wire or rod. The respective elements are very readily made in the factory and their formation merely involves the bending of a required length of material into the form of the flat handle and the bending of the auxiliary loops 1 or 22 and attaching of one or more of the latter to the gripping loop 5 of the flat handle by welding or otherwise to form the four or more wire gripping portion. This results in the formation of a handle having the special characteristic of imparting the feel of a full round wooden handle to the user and while especially designed for implements such as fly swatters or the like, may be used. in connection with various forms of implements and utensils.

The constructions described illustrate practical embodiments of my invention. Others are contemplated. For example, the loops 1 and I? may have other suitable shapes besides those illustrated. It is to be understood, therefore, that I do not restrict myself to the exact methods and means disclosed and that various changes in method, construction, shape and arrangement of parts are to be considered within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a' handle for a fly swatter, utensil and the like having a gripping loop at one end thereof, said gripping loop being provided with an inward bend, an auxiliary gripping loop mounted adjacent said first-named gripping loop at right angles to the plane of the latter, said auxiliary gripping loop having a crimp therein adjacent said inward bend of said first-named loop and being permanently attached to said handle element.

STEPHEN A. PLATT. 

